Anna Palmer: and the Eye of Dreams
by Eyum
Summary: Follow Anna, Albus, Rose, and their friends as they try to make it through their first year. A dark object is being guarded/held at Hogwarts until it can be destroyed. While there, it causes havoc among the students unbeknownst to the staff.
1. The Hogwarts Express

**Summary: _Follow Anna, Albus, Rose, and their friends as they try to make it through their first year. A dark object is being guarded/held at Hogwarts until it can be destroyed. While there, it causes havoc among the students unbeknownst to the staff. Curiosity and bravery get the better of them as they seek to figure out what is happening at Hogwarts. On their own, of course._**

**Hi there! So this is my very first fanfiction ever. I'm not new to writing, just haven't done fanfiction before. I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it! Don't be scared to give me your opinion! I'm trying to write it in the same, easy-going and simplistic writing style that J.K. Rowling uses.**

**Please read and review :)**

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><p>Anna climbed into the back of the car and turned about to yell at her siblings. "Hurry up! I don't want to be late!"<p>

Her older brothers helped Dad put the remaining luggage into the trunk of the car. It shouldn't have fit three large trunks and three animal cages, but the entire car was given an enchantment – one that Anna didn't even notice, it was so natural.

At another shout from Anna, the rest of her family piled into the car. From the outside it looked to only fit five, but the eight of them sat quite comfortably with her and her siblings all in the back seat.

Dad started the car and they were off – finally on their way to the train station where she would board the train to Hogwarts.

Halfway there, her little sister called out to Mum loudly, "When do _I_ get my own pet?"

"When you're eleven. Now stop it, Lydia. We've already talked about this," Mum scolded.

"Are you excited?" one of her brothers asked Anna.

Before she could say anything to Sam, David interrupted, "Why should she be? She's going to be put in Slytherin. You know what that means, don't you? Mum and Dad will have to disown her and she'll go to live in a shack with all the other Dark Wizards and Witches."

"I will _not_ be Slytherin!" she shouted angrily.

"How do you know? You don't, do you!" he retorted

"She'll know when they put the Sorting Hat on her head though," her little sister added.

"And then it'll yell SLYTHERIN," her oldest brother said, laughing at the indignant look on her face.

"Leave her alone, boys," Dad told them sternly.

After a few moments of silence, Anna asked her parents shyly, "I won't _really_ be put in Slytherin though, will I?"

"Plenty of good Witches and Wizards are sorted into Slytherin, Anna. It's not _just_ the Dark ones," her father told her.

"Don't let your brothers get to you," Mum said, ignoring her younger brother as he tried to get at his toy hippogriff that she'd taken away a moment ago.

Anna was still disheartened even after her parents efforts to comfort her. Not _Slytherin_, she promised herself.

She looked out the window, watching the other cars pass by and wondered at how they could stand such a boring lives. Unconsciously, she started singing to herself, "You and I will fly out of this town – here tonight, leave all solid ground."

"What was that?" Sam asked her.

"Hmm? Oh, I must've been singing to myself."

"Well, we're here."

"What!" she exclaimed, sitting bolt upright. Looking around, she saw they were finally at the station. Dad parked the car somewhat haphazardly and they all climbed out. Jacob and Dad brought carts out to them and they unloaded their school things. Sitting atop her trunk was a cage holding her new owl. Brynn was a grey sooty color, but Anna knew she wanted the owl when she saw it sitting there in the shop. She was so graceful and beautiful – the perfect sort of animal for Anna to keep.

Kings Crossing Station was just as she remembered it from the year before when they'd all come to see her older brothers off for school. They rolled up their trollies to the brick wall that would take them to the platform. Mum and Dad took Zeke and Lydia with them through the wall, followed closely by Sam and Jacob.

David smiled at Anna. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, running through the brick with her trolly.

Parents and students were crowded around Platform nine and three-quarters, all saying their goodbyes. Steam from the train floated lazily through the air around them.

David came up behind her and immediately left to go drop off his things. Anna followed after him hurriedly. They rejoined the rest of the family after leaving their school trunks. Dominique showed up then, running to embrace David as her parents stood there watching in amusement. Anna made a gagging face at them. Off in the distance she could see Dominique's older sister snogging some boy.

Bill Weasley waved at her father, at which they started up an animated conversation a little away from the rest of the family. Looking uncomfortable, Fleur Weasley turned to talk to her son, Louis. Anna hardly new the boy since he was a few years older than herself.

"There's so many people here," her mother commented to Angelina Weasley who had just walked over to join them. Anna's mum went to school with Angelina and had stayed friends with her ever since.

"I know. This is like the Muggle's baby-boom in the 70s, isn't it," Angelina replied. "We all were having kids after Voldemort died."

"So this is the fruits of it? I wonder how they'll fit them all in the train," Mum wondered aloud.

"I haven't the slightest idea. I'm more worried about how they'll fit them in the rooms."

Anna's mum shook her head. "Now that I think of it, Jacob's year was pretty large too. They think it was the biggest in Hogwarts history."

The two women kept talking, but Anna was tired of listening to their boring gossip. The train's whistle blew, ringing loud and clear through the din of voices. Just as it did, Penelope, Jacob's girlfriend, came over to them from out of the steam. She gave Anna's eldest brother a brief kiss before turning to wave off her little brother as he boarded the train.

"Come on then, don't want it to leave with you," Mr. Weasley shouted at Victoire who reluctantly unlatched herself from the boy she'd been locking lips with.

Anna anxiously boarded the steps of the train. _This is it!_

"Have a good year, Anna!" Penelope called out to her. "And don't let it worry you so much about which House you'll be in – whichever the Sorting Hat chooses, you'll be happy with it!"

She smiled and waved back to her brother's girlfriend. She liked Penelope a great deal more than Dominique. The train started up, whistling loudly, and Anna waved even more fiercely. Hands stuck out from every window of the train as all the students shouted farewells to their families.

Now that the train was going, she hurried inside to find a compartment. Her brothers had long been gone to find their friends. Anna had no friends her age, so she peeked into each compartment hoping for one to be empty. Of course, none of them were. She finally settled on one where a black haired boy sat with a bushy, red-headed girl, and another boy with dirty blonde hair.

"Hello," she said in nervous greeting. "Mind if I sit in here?"

"No, not at all," the girl told her with a shy smile.

"Thanks," Anna replied, taking a seat next to the red-head.

"Are you a first year, too?" the boy asked.

"Yeah," she replied, obviously more relaxed now that she'd found some of her new classmates.

"I'm Al," he said.

With a wave, the other boy introduced himself, "I'm Tinsley."

"And I'm Rose," the girl added, pulling her bushy hair back from her face to put in a ponytail.

"I'm Anna," she told them with a broad smile.

"Which House are you hoping to be in?" Al asked.

"Anything but Slytherin, really."

"My dad told me that Sorting Hat will take your choice into account, so if you really don't want to be in Slytherin it won't put you there."

"Really?" Anna and Rose said in unison.

Al laughed at them. "Yeah, really. He told me right before we boarded the train. Said it listened to him at least."

Their compartment door opened just then to emit the blonde head of a young boy. "Can I sit in here?" he asked shyly, pushing his glasses up.

"Sure," Anna told him.

"Sorry," he said apologizing, "all the other compartments are full up."

"You a first year too then?" Al asked him.

"Yeah. I don't know anyone here. I'm Sebastian, by the way, Sebastian Reid."

"I'm Anna Palmer," she said in introduction.

"I am Rose Weasley. Nice to meet you."

Smiling genuinely at Sebastian, the dirty-blonde boy said, "Tinsley Jones."

"Albus Potter."

Anna was just about to ask Rose how she was related to Dominique when Al introduced himself. Her mouth gaped open. "Al – Albus Potter? You're not. Surely you aren't related to _Harry_ Potter?"

"Er, yeah. He's my dad," Al admitted.

"Blimey," she said in astonishment. "_The_ Harry Potter! What's it like having him for a dad?"

"Probably the same as any other dad. Why?"

"What do you mean _why_? Has he told you any stories from his days at Hogwarts?"

"Not really, though he did mention this ridiculous teacher he had one year, a Professor Lockheart," Al told her, a small smile on his face.

"What's all this fuss about? Who's Harry Potter?" Sebastian asked in confusion.

"You don't know?" Anna asked, wondering how anyone could _not_ know about The-Boy-Who-Lived-Twice.

"Er, no. Just learned I was a wizard a month ago, to be honest," he told them.

"Ah, Muggle-born," Rose said.

"Is that a bad thing?" the boy asked, his brow furrowed in worry.

"No, not at all. My mum's a Muggle-born and she's brilliant with magic," Rose said to comfort him.

"Oh, good," he said, relaxing. "So who's this Harry bloke?"

"My aunt told me a bit about him – she went to school with him. She said that him and his two friends, Hermoine Granger and Ronald Weasley fought off Lord Voldemort – the darkest of wizard to this day! Well, at least that's what it says on his Famous Wizards card," Anna told him excitedly. Rose blushed at the mention of Harry Potter's friends. "Rose, you must know Ronald Weasley."

"Erm, yeah I do. He's my dad – Hermoine's my mum," she said reluctantly.

"Bloody! You guys will be celebrities at school," Tinsley exclaimed.

Al grimaced. "I hope not."

Eager to change the subject, Sebastian took his wand out from his pocket. "Did you all get wands too?" he asked anxiously.

"Yeah," Anna said, stifling a giggle as she took out hers as well. Al and Rose pulled out their own not a moment later. Rose's wand had vines climbing up it whereas Sebastian's was more on the plain side with a few grooves worked into it here and there along the handle. A few grooves and a ball were carved at the end of Tinsley's wand and Al's curved in at the handle with a trumpet like end to it.

"They all look so different," Rose commented in wonder.

"You all get yours from Olivander's as well?" Al asked them.

"Yeah," they replied.

"She's a bit weird, isn't she?" Sebastian said, sending them into laughter.

The compartment door opened while they were still chuckling over their different stories of Mrs. Olivander. A shy girl with long dirty-blonde hair stepped in.

"Hello," Anna said warmly, giving the other girl a smile.

"The train is really packed," she said quietly. "Is it all right if I sit in here?"

"Of course, go ahead and sit down," Rose told her.

Just as they were about to introduce themselves, the door opened again to emit a boy with glasses, his brown hair covering up one of his eyes almost completely.

"Hope you guys don't care if I join you," he said as he sat down next to Sebastian and Al.

"It's fine," Al answered with a smile.

They introduced themselves then to the two newcomers, Al getting properly questioned by the boy with glasses.

"Oh, I forgot," the new comer said after a while. "I'm Kent Balfour, by the way."

The new girl played with her hair nervously. "I'm Emma Neighbors," she said in a small voice.

At that another boy, this one with straight black hair that ran to his shoulders, his bangs pinned back, walked into their compartment.

"Sorry, the rest of the train is just as full," the boy apologized as he squeezed next to Rose. He introduced himself as Lance Keller, and soon enough him and Sebastian got into a heated discussion about some riddle. Anna was completely lost as to what they were talking about, so she turned to the shy girl sitting next to her. Emma seemed like the type that would only talk after much poking and prodding. So Anna prodded.

"I like your hair. It's such a pretty color," Anna commented.

"Oh," Emma said with a blush, "thank you."

"Are you a first year, too?" she asked the quiet girl.

"Yeah," she murmured.

"Wicked, me too," Kent announced.

Immediately, they started going around and sharing what little they knew of Hogwarts. Most of them had older siblings to tell them what they hoped were lies about the school.

When the trolly came by, a few of them bought candies to share. They all laughed as the Muggle-born, Sebastian, had the luck to pick a compost flavored candy from Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

While eating their candies, another student popped in through the door of their compartment.

"Oi, mind if I stay in here?" he asked in a light Irish accent. "The ones I was sitting with before turned out to be real pricks."

"I guess so," Rose told him as he hurriedly stepped in, closing the door behind and shutting the curtain.

"Thanks. They'll probably be sorted into Slytherin, those skawly little gits," he told them. Anna noticed Kent's cheeks turn red at the comment.

"Your first year too then?" Sebastian asked hopefully.

"Yeah. Same as you lot then?"

They all nodded to him, Anna a little to emphatically.

"I'm Sebastian Reid, by the way," he said, holding out his hand to the newcomer.

"Right, I'm Perry Pucey," he replied, shaking the other boy's hand.

When Al introduced himself, Perry gaped just the same as Anna had. Rose's last name seemed to come as no surprise to him though.

Shaking hands with the new comer, Kent and Tinsley both introduced themselves while Emma greeted Perry in that same nervous voice she had introduced herself with earlier.

"And I'm Anna Palmer," she told him, reaching out a hand.

He kissed it lightly. "Pleasure."

Anna drew back her hand hastily, wiping it off on her dress to the sound of Perry's laughter. He sat down on the floor between Sebastian and Al, there wasn't any room left on the bench, and helped himself to a chocolate frog. When he opened it he let out a bark of laughter.

"Look here Potter, it's your da'" he said, holding out the card to Al. "Want it?"

"What would _I _do with it. I see his face often enough," he retorted, laughing.

A few moments later Sebastian exclaimed how Potter's picture wasn't there any more.

"Where'd he go?" he asked them.

"What'd you mean? Can't expect him to stay there all day now, can you?" Perry told him with a laugh.

"Don't Muggle pictures stay put?" Rose asked no one in particular. Catching the smirk on the boy's faces she turned on them, "Don't you be poking fun at him for it!"

As it grew darker and they drew nearer their destination, the nine of them changed into their school robes. Sebastian complained about wearing the hat, saying it made him feel queer. They ignored him though, figuring it to be a Muggle thing.

"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately," a voice rang out overhead.

Anna peered longingly into the pitch-darkness outside the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the castle. The Hogwarts Express came to a stop before she did though.

"Seems like we're here," Perry announced.

"C'mon let's go!" Sebastian shouted at them enthusiastically, hurrying out of their compartment. Anna quickly followed her new friends as they hopped off the train.

Outside on the platform students were walking through the steam off the express towards a path where several carriages sat. The five of them made to follow the other students when a loud voice boomed overhead.

"First year students to me!" the loud voice called over the din of lively chatter.

They followed the voice to a tall, broad man who still stood with hands cupped around his bearded mouth bellowing. The tops of their heads barely reached the man's waist.

"Is this all of you then?" he asked the gathering of students. "Seems a bit more than last year," he wondered aloud. "Right then. I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." After a long awkward pause, he continued, "Erm, please follow me then."

The large man led them down a path surrounded by darkness. Around one bend, the path opened up to a lake and they could see the castle sitting on a mountain on the other side, light shining through its windows. Several boats dotted the water in front of them.

"Four students to a boat, no more!" Hagrid called out to the students as they made their way to the boats.

Al, Rose, Anna, and Tinsley shared a boat, whereas Emma joined Kent, Sebastian, and Lance got in another together.

"It's all right," Perry told them when they realized he was the only one left out, "I'll just hop in another one."

Once all the students were in, Hagrid shouted, "FORWARD." All at once the boats lurched toward the opposite side of the lake, the dark stillness of the water giving Anna the chills.

"Keep your heads down," he told them just before the boats floated through a curtain of ivy into a dark tunnel, at the end of which was a sort of cobble-stoned dock. The students climbed out and the Keeper of Keys led them up a stairway worked into the rock that wound itself up to the castle. They quickly rejoined as they followed the other students, except for Sebastian and Lance, who seemed to be deeply involved in another long discussion.

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><p><strong>How was it? Having fun yet? I hope so. By now you would have realized that this is all in the point of view of Anna (my niece who is the same age as Al, Rose, and Scorpius). You still Al and Rose a lot, since they're best friends with Anna. Everyone does a fanfiction in the point of view of the next generationcanon characters. Booooooring~ Here you get a unique look at them, because let's face it - I didn't create Albus or Rose, so how would I be able to write accurately in their point of view? Least, that's how I feel. **

**Don't forget to leave me a review! :)**


	2. Hogwarts' Castle at Last

The large man, Anna was supposing he _must_ be a giant, knocked a few times on the tall, heavy doors, which opened at once. Inside stood a tall, scrawny looking wizard with short brown hair in blue robes. Though, he didn't seem quite so tall when in comparison to the large Keeper of Keys standing right there in front of him.

"First years, this is Professor Regan," Hagrid announced.

"Thanks, Hagrid," the man said with a genuine smile, pulling the doors open wide to emit the mass of students. Their footsteps rang out on the flag-stoned floor into the impossibly-high ceilinged entrance hall. On the opposite wall as them was an elegant marble staircase leading to the upper floors. It was easy to imagine an entire house fitting inside that one grand room.

A buzz of chatter could be heard through the door to their right and she surmised the rest of the school must already be in there. Professor Regan led them to a small chamber off from the hall, forcing them to crowd together.

"You know anythin' about how they sort us?" Perry whispered.

"I just know they put the Sorting Hat on our heads," Rose answered.

"My brother told me it's like a test – in front of the whole school!" Al interrupted.

Sebastian looked horrified at this news. "A – a test?" he stuttered. Emma gasped and Anna could see the terror plain on her face. She patted the girl's arm to try and reassure her.

"You're joking, right?" Tinsley whispered incredulously.

Lance looked confident as we whispered back, "I'm sure we will do fine."

"My brothers told me it was painful," Anna said, then added at the worried look on Rose's face, "but I think they were just having a laugh."

"Well then. Welcome to Hogwarts, First Years," Professor Regan said, "in just a moment the start-of-the-year feast will begin. First, though, you will all be sorted into your Houses. Your House will be like your family here at Hogwarts. Each House has it's own private dormitories and common room. All of your classes will be attended together as well, so these are people you will see every day. Naturally, you can see why the sorting ceremony is rather important.

"Now then, there are four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each of these Houses were founded by extraordinary wizards and witches and each continues to produce such. All of your triumphs and the like while at Hogwarts will be rewarded with House points, while any rule-breaking and mischief will be the loss of points. At the end of the school year whichever House has the most points will receive the House Cup.

"We'll start the Sorting Ceremony in a few minutes. Whatever your friends or older siblings have told you is likely to be false, so don't worry yourself about it overly much."

Soon as he left the chamber, all the students started up in nervous chatter.

"I hope we're all in the same House together," Sebastian told them worriedly as he attempted to brush hair from his face.

"Like he said, Seb, don't worry about it," Lance told the boy comfortingly.

Putting his arm around their new friend with Perry and Tinsley soon following suit, Al told him, "Even if we are put into separate Houses, we can still be friends."

"Yeah," Kent added, "We'll still see each other at class, won't we?"

The first years shuffled about nervously, whispering about their impending doom. Anna tried to ignore the anxious pattering of her heart as she looked cast her eyes about the room.

"Hey!" shouted a student from behind them. Students backed away to let two boys through to their little group. "You're that kid from the train."

"Ah, good to see you again," Perry said with a broad smile.

"See you've found yourself a few friends. Ha, it's funny to see who would make friends with an obvious Mu-" the boy stopped as Professor Regan reentered the chamber.

"We're about to start the Sorting Ceremony now," he told them. "Form a line and follow me." The professor led them back to the entrance hall and through the massive doors into the Great Hall.

Looking up, it was as if Anna's eyes had stuck to the ceiling. Above them the room opened up to the sky outside. Tripping over her robes, she looked back down to see all the other students looking up as well, their mouths open in wonder.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Rose whispered from behind her. "My mum told me it's just bewitched to look like the sky – so there _is_ a ceiling there."

Gawking, Emma whispered in reverence, "It's wonderful."

Below the sky were four long tables where the students of each House sat, candles floating in the air above them. At the head of the room was a table facing the others, professors sitting there quietly as they inspected the first years trickling in. They lined up in front of them so that they faced the hundreds of students. Anna saw her two brothers at one of the tables, Sam waved and she waved back hesitantly. David saw her nerves and winked at her. She was sure it was meant to reassure her, but it did nothing of the sort.

The first years watched as Professor Regan placed a four-legged stool in front of them, putting a ratty old hat on top of it. Everyone stared at the hat, waiting. _Are we supposed to do something now?_ But then the hat twitched and a rip at the brim acted like a mouth as it sang. Her friends stared with her in wonder, as did the rest of her class.

_What a funny little song_, she thought as Professor Regan unrolled a bit of parchment once the hat fell silent. "When I call your name," he said, "you will come sit on the stool and put on the Sorting Hat." Anna rung her hands together anxiously, though she was quite relieved that all they had to do was put it on.

"Ackerman, Sally," the professor called.

A girl with long blonde hair running to her waist came forward. Sitting on the stool, she placed the hat on her head, which came down over her eyes. Not a moment later the hat yelled loudly, "SLYTHERIN!" and with a happy smile Sally made her way towards the cheering Slytherin table.

"Adder, Wesley," Regan called.

After a few short moments, then hat announced, "HUFFLEPUFF!" All the students wearing yellow and black cheered as he sat down among them.

"Ahuja, Leyla," he called forward next.

Before the hat was even fully on her head, it shouted, "RAVENCLAW". The blue and bronze table burst into applause and excited cheering. Ravenclaw gained another member just after Ahuja, with Alton, Thalia.

"Archer, Wednesday," Professor Regan called and a short girl with midnight-black hair stepped forward and sat gingerly on the little stool. It took a while before she was declared Slytherin.

"Athans,..." Regan called, and the boy soon joined the Hufflepuff table.

A tall girl with copper hair was sorted into Ravenclaw after that.

"Balfour, Kent," the teacher announced. Perry cursed under his breath as Kent was put into Slytherin.

Al had a small frown on his face. "We can still be friends with him, right," he whispered.

"He didn't seem bad," Tinsley commented.

"Maybe not all Slytherins are," Sebastian wondered.

"I can't see why we can't be friends with him just because he's in Slytherin," Rose added quietly.

While they were talking, two others were sorted, one into Hufflepuff and the other to Slytherin.

Bobbin made for another into Ravenclaw right before Christine Bole jumped up to join the Slytherins. By then Gryffindor was looking anxiously at the new students, probably wondering if ANY of them would be sorted into their house. A girl with the last name of Bristow soon joined Christine at the Slytherin table.

"Brown, Samson," Professor Regan called. It took a full three minutes before the Sorting Hat declared him as Hufflepuff. The other three houses frowned as Buckley joined the Slytherins. It did seem like they were getting the most first years so far.

All the Gryffindors were looking down-heartened that they still had yet to gain any first years. When the Sorting Hat proudly shouted, "GRYFFINDOR" while it sat on Burns, Milton's head, the hall seemed to burst from all the noise. Burns was so excited he ran off to join his Housemates, not realizing the Hat was still on his head.

Carpentier went to Hufflepuff, Carswell to Ravenclaw, and Cerale to Slytherin before another student, Chetney, joined Gryffindor's table. Cline joined Slytherin, Comstock ran down to join her friends at the Ravenclaw table, and Cooke ran down after her a few moments later.

Dennis, Deverill, Dindral, Dunnet, Emmins, Falke, Farthy, one after another they were sorted. Gryffindor was still looking empty of first years compared to the others. After a few more names, Anna found herself toying with her robes in boredom.

"Higgs,..." Regan shouted.

Whispering while watching the boy walk forward, Perry told them, "That's one of the boys from the train. He's the same one who came up to us just before."

It took a mere second before he was declared Slytherin.

"Seems you were right about him," Tinsley commented.

After a few more were sorted, Professor Regan called Tinsley forward. He was immediately sorted to Gryffindor, and ran down to join them while the students high-fived him as he passed.

Just after Jorkins went down to join Tinsley at the Gryffindor table, Lance went forward and sat on the stool.

The Sorting Hat sat silently on Lance Keller's head as the students and teachers watched in silence. Anna wondered if maybe it were broken, but finally five or more minutes later it shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" The names just kept coming. Anna wondered at how impossibly long Professor Regan's parchment must have been.

"My dad warned me about the Malfoys," Rose whispered just as Regan called a blonde boy forward.

"Yeah, he said for you to beat him at every test and that Grandad would never forgive you if you married him," Al laughed.

"He doesn't look very pleasant, does he?" Emma added quietly.

The Sorting Hat interrupted them then, just as it touched Malfoy's head, "SLYTHERIN."

"That would be why," Perry sneered.

After what seemed an impossibly long time, Emma was sorted into Hufflepuff and it was getting closer to her turn. Her friends shared in her anxiety, since it was coming close to them as well. Al looked a bit green, Rose's forehead was creased in worry, and Sebastian clutched at his stomach. Only Perry looked completely calm.

"I'm actually pretty nervous," he admitted to her when she asked how he could be so calm just as a girl was sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Nicoli,...O'dell,...O'donnell,..." Finally, Professor Regan called out, "Palmer, Anna."

Shaking a bit, she sat down on the stool. The last thing she saw before the hat covered her eyes was her brother Sam, smiling and waving at her from the Gryffindor table.

"Ah, another one," the Hat whispered to her. "Where should I put you, then? Ravenclaw? Your brother did well in Ravenclaw – you can too. Or perhaps...?"

_Please not Slytherin, I'll never be able to live that down_, the thought fiercely.

"Not Slytherin? Well why not?"

Anna kept up her fervent prayer, until at last the Sorting Hat opened it's big tear of a mouth, "GRYFFINDOR!"

All at once a huge weight seemed to lift from off her shoulders. Being so much lighter, she felt she could fly. All in haste, she took off the Hat and ran to the Gryffindor table – a large grin on her face. Her brother, Sam, scooted over so she could sit next to him.

Now she looked up anxiously at her friends still up there. _Oh, I hope we aren't all split up!_

A few sorted students later, "Potter, Albus," Professor Regan called. Everyone in the room whispered excitedly as Al sat down on the stool.

"I didn't know one of Harry Potter's kids was in your year, Anna," Sam said.

"Yeah, I met him on the train."

"I bet he has all kinds of exciting stories to tell." Anna shrugged, knowing his father's fame bothered him she didn't feel like talking about it – especially when he wasn't there.

As the Sorting Hat sat covering half his face, from what she could see he looked worried by what it might be saying to him. But, a few moments later it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The table burst into cheering, Anna whooping and hollering as loud as she could. Everyone stood up as Al moved to join them. She made Sam move over so he could sit with her. "Glad we're in the same House," she said, a smile on her face as they sat.

"Yeah," he smiled back, "me too."

To their excitement Perry joined them at the Gryffindor table a moment later. "Nice we're all together, isn't it?" he told them.

As Pyrites was made Slytherin, Perry informed them, "That's the stupid bloke from the train. I knew he was a Slytherin."

Unfortunately, Sebastian did not make Gryffindor. Although they were separated, he seemed happy with himself as he joined Lance at the Ravenclaw table. Nine others were sorted before it was Rose's turn. To any who knew of the Weasley's, it was no surprise that the Hat immediately called her out as a Gryffindor. They cheered and made room for her to sit with them, making everyone scoot down.

Five more students were sorted, then finally, "Ziegler," and the Sorting Ceremony was over. After it was all said and done, there were slightly more Gryffindors than Slytherins, though Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw both had even more still. The entire table grinned broadly for the rest of the evening for that fact – taking particular care into rubbing it in for the Slytherins.

Professor Regan rolled up the parchment of their names and took the Sorting Hat away as the Headmaster stepped forward. He was a tiny sort of man with white hair that curled around his slowly balding head and a long mustache that ran down to his chest. Climbing onto the stool, he opened his arms in greeting. "Welcome to Hogwarts, new students – and welcome back to the rest! Let's not dally with useless talk and begin the feast!" With that he stepped down and headed to his seat at the teacher's table.

Anna looked down at the table to realize it was covered with food now. Al and Perry were already loading up their plates. It seemed like a very long time since they'd eaten on the train ride there. Hungry, she grabbed some potatoes and chicken.

Halfway through dinner, she saw Al filling his plate for the third time.

"Really now, is it necessary to eat _that_ much?" she teased.

"Hey, don't bug him," Sam interrupted. "We growing boys need a lot of food to keep us fueled, didn't you know?"

"It's true," Tinsley added with his mouth already full.

"Apparently it requires eating with animalistic savagery as well," Rose commented, noting the way Perry was ripping into a large chicken leg. He only shrugged at her as he kept eating.

"Boys," Anna exasperated and shared a laugh with Rose while Al, Tinsley, and Perry just gave them a queer look.

Eventually, when everyone was sitting back, unable to eat any more, the remaining food from their plates faded away. It wasn't a moment later, though, that the desserts appeared on the table. Anna helped herself to a berry tart while the boys loaded up their plates once more – despite having just complained how full they were.

A while later, after the desserts were gone, the hall fell silent as they turned their eyes up to the teacher's table. Climbing onto his chair, the little Headmaster spoke loudly so they all could hear.

"Before we all go off to bed, I have a few short words and notices. For all you first years who may not know, I am Filius Flitwick, Headmaster of Hogwarts. Mr. Wilks, our caretaker, is deeply concerned for your safety – as are all the staff here – and we remind you not to use magic in the corridors.

"Also, for all you first years who don't know, the forest on grounds is off-limits for all students. Going outdoors after dinner is also not permitted. When going out on the grounds at all – we must ask you to always have a partner with you. I know that rule is new, but I hope you all realize it is for the better. Now, I think it is time for bed. Nighty-night." With that he hopped down from his chair.

As all the first year Gryffindors gathered around to follow after Lisbet Walker – a prefect – a boy came up to talk with Al.

"Good job making Gryffindor, Al," the boy said, clapping him on the shoulder.

Al frowned at him. "Yeah, too bad I have to see your face every day now. Was hoping I'd land in Hufflepuff."

The other boy grabbed Al and ruffled his hair. "See you tomorrow," he called out as he ran off ahead of the first year group.

"Who was that bloke?" Perry asked.

"Ugh, my brother," Al told them unenthusiastically. "He can be such a git sometimes."

They followed Lisbet as she led them out of the Great Hall and up the grand marble staircase. Anna looked around in wonder at _every_thing. All the people in the paintings covering the walls waved at them politely. The prefect wound her way slowly to the Gryffindor corridor, sometimes leading them behind tapestries where a doorway was hidden or tickling a door in the right spot to unlock it.

Lisbet stopped in front of a large painting of a particularly large woman. She smiled at all of them before asking, "Password?"

"Fizzing Whizbees," she answered.

The painting swung forward like on a hinge, and revealed behind it the doorway to a large common room. All of the first years entered anxiously, their heads on swivels as they looked about.

Sprinkled about the round room were big armchairs and sofas, including a few circled around a great stone fireplace. A few tables were spread out, obviously to be used for studying. Everything about the room was decorated in a dark red or brilliant gold.

Lisbet pointed to a spiral staircase in the back right of the room. "The boy's dormitories are up there," she said, "and the girl's dormitories are this way." Rose and Anna waved goodnight to Al and Perry as they followed the prefect up the opposite staircase to their beds. Their room was the second to the top of the tall staircase. Anna was exhausted and ready for sleep by the time she reached her four-poster bed.

"Goodnight girls," Prefect Lisbet said happily as she closed the door and headed off to her own room.

Anna was surprised they were putting all eleven girls in the same bedroom. It wasn't crowded at all, though, for which she was grateful.

Seeing their trunks were already there at the foot of their beds, they immediately began to dress into their pajamas.

"Anyone else suddenly full of energy?" a girl with bright auburn hair asked the rest of them.

"I know what you mean," one of the girls answered.

"It's exciting isn't it?" a pale girl exclaimed.

Too anxious for sleep just yet, the girls all sat down on the floor in the middle of the room, before going around in a circle and introducing themselves. After they knew each others names, they started up with idle talk.

Gemma, a girl with very curly blonde hair, was twins with a boy who had also made Gryffindor. "Me and him are pretty close, so it's a relief to be in the same House."

"My brother is in Gryffindor," Marianne told them. "He's a third year."

"I'm the oldest – just have a little brother," said Bonnie. She had beautiful, sleek, dark-red hair that ran down her back to her knees. Rose was happily braiding it for her, jealous of how straight it was.

"Same here," Rose said with a giggle. All of them were a bit giddy – pleased to be at Hogwarts and to be making friends.

"I have two brothers in Gryffindor. One's a fourth year and the other a sixth," Anna admitted. "Actually my brother David is on the Quidditch team."

Bright blue eyes wide, Gemma asked Rose, "So, your cousins are the Potter kids, right?"

With a sigh, Rose nodded.

"Oh come on then, Rose. How can you be tired of it? You have to know some pretty wicked stories," Marianne told her, leaning forward, and soon all the other girls joined in.

"Just leave her alone. Al told me his dad never told him the stories from when he was at Hogwarts, so I doubt Rose knows any either," Anna said.

Rose blushed a little and busied herself with Bonnie's hair. "Well, er." After a long pause she finally let out, "Actually my dad would talk about them a lot, but mum says he exaggerates a lot and changes the story so that it's all about him and not Uncle Harry."

"Your dad knows all the stories?" Gemma asked.

"Well, yeah. He was best friends with Uncle Harry all through school. Mum says the three of them were always together – her, dad, and Uncle Harry, I mean," Rose conceded.

"I didn't know that," Kelby allowed.

"Yeah, well not many people do. I think Uncle Harry tried to keep them out of the infamy – though it wasn't that hard. Anyway, your braid's done."

"Hey, that doesn't look _too_ bad," Anna teased. Picking up her pillow, she threw it, hitting Anna right in the face. In seconds they were all up and hitting each other with pillows, laughing loudly despite the hour.

"Oi!" a girl shouted, and they all turned to see a seventh year standing in their open doorway. "Go to bed already," she said angrily before closing the door and leaving them to stand their in stunned silence.

Anna let out a long yawn, which was quickly echoed by Marianne before Bonnie caught it, who then gave it to Shannon.

"I didn't even hear her open the door," Simar murmured as she made her way towards her bed.

"Neither did I," pale haired Anice replied.

Folding over her blanket, Willow said sleepily, "I don't think any of us did."

"I wonder if that's something you learn as you get older," Kelby wondered out loud, "to sneak up on people."

The girls giggled as they climbed into their beds. Anna was asleep within seconds and realized just before drifting off that she'd forgotten to ask Rose how she was related to Dominique.

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><p><strong>Aren't they cute? ^^ Don't forget to leave me review! :O<strong>


	3. First Day of Classes

The chiming of a particularly loud bell woke Anna up the next morning. Mumbling to herself, she stumbled out of bed and for a moment stood in a half-conscious panic. It took her a few more moments to remember the events of yesterday and where she was. Rose was looking at her in a sort of groggy concern.

"Morning," she mumbled.

After a few moments to register the greeting, Anna mumbled back, "G'mornin'."

A tall girl with short-black hair came in through the door just then. _Marianne, I think her name was_. "So you two are finally awake? I was just coming to get you. That's the second bell this morning – it's breakfast now," she told them, barely pausing for breathe before going back out.

Anna looked about their room and realized they were the only ones there. Hurrying now that she was a bit more aware, she rummaged through her trunk to pull out her school robes and threw them on. Glancing over, she saw Rose doing the same. Neither of the pair bothered to look over their appearance as they bolted down the stairs leading to the common room. Once they took the last step, both paused as they noticed each other. Rose's hair was in a great bush of red with her shirt not properly tucked in and her cloak hanging sideways off her shoulder.

"You might want to check yourself," the Weasley girl told her, pointing at Anna's own untucked shirt and unkept hair.

"I'd suggest the same to you," Anna laughed.

"I'm glad most everyone's already gone down. My cousins would never forget to tease me if they saw me in this state."

"My brothers are used to me appearing like this, so I don't think it surprises them anymore."

Together they made their way over to their fellow first year girls while fixing their clothes and combing down their hair.

"We decided to wait for the two of you, since we're all starting our first day at Hogwarts. I thought it'd be nice to start it off together," Gemma told them with a smile as they made their way to climb out of the portrait hole. "Oh, but the other girls went on ahead. Which is fine, since we'll see them at breakfast and all our classes, won't we?"

Marianne grumbled, obvious that she didn't like the idea of being late. Bonnie, Willow, and Anice didn't seem to mind though.

"Thanks," Anna murmured.

The seven girls were lucky that a few third year boys were also a bit late with leaving, because it meant they could follow them down to the Great Hall. Otherwise, Anna was sure they would've gotten lost within the labyrinth of staircases, hidden doorways, and corridors.

Once they were in the Great Hall, Gemma went to sit with her brother and Marianne found an empty seat between Theodore and a tall boy who Anna guessed would be her brother. Bonnie left them to sit with Gemma and Gavin not a moment later. That left Anna and Rose alone, again. Al waved at them from further down the table, gesturing at the empty seats next to him.

"You two took long enough," he remarked as they sat.

To her horror, Anna's brother was sitting right across from her. He smiled knowingly at Al's comment, but surprisingly said nothing on it.

"Got lost," Rose said, her cheeks growing red.

"So did we at first, but David saved us when Peeves had sent us off in the opposite direction."

"He's one for tricks and pranks – don't trust a word he says and you'll be fine," her brother told them.

Al cut in eagerly, "David's the Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor!"

"I know," Anna said, exasperated.

Crestfallen, Al asked sullenly, "Not one for Quidditch?"

"Yeah, what have you got against Quidditch? Or me, for that matter," David retorted with an ingratiating smirk on his face.

She simply stuck her tongue out at him rudely.

Al was looking more confused than ever with his eyebrows drawn up, furrowing his forehead.

"He's her brother, you lummox," Rose told him with a jab of her elbow.

"Oh," he said, rubbing at his arm.

"That's all right. I can see why you couldn't see the resemblance," David said, gesturing at Anna. "I mean, look at that adorable little face."

Anna's cheeks flared to a bright red and she kept quiet as she loaded up her plate with ham and eggs. What was worse is David didn't start laughing about it, he just turned to Al and they started up a conversation of Quidditch.

When hundreds of owls soared in overhead they all looked up in wonder. She'd never seen so many at once! They dipped down, dropping letters and parcels in front of the students before taking off again. A letter dropped down onto her plate and Brynn, her own grey owl, dropped down to perch herself on the table in front of her, nibbling at the bit of toast. Hastily, Anna broke the seal on the letter and read it with a smile on her face. It was from her mum and dad.

Halfway through the letter she looked up to see David and Sam had one too. She was glad to know she wasn't the only one who had received a letter from home. Al and Rose were both silent as they read their own letters next to her.

After breakfast, Professor Regan gathered up all the first year Gryffindors and handed them each a bit of parchment with their schedules. They were crestfallen when they saw their first class at Hogwarts was to be double potions with the Slytherins.

"Of _all_ the Houses to be paired with first, it just _had _to be Slytherin, didn't it?" Perry groaned.

Professor Regan shooed them out after everyone had their schedules. "Off to your classes, now. Don't want to be late on the first day."

But the Gryffindors all had a two hour break before their first class, so they made their way warily up to the common room. It took them the better half of an hour for all twenty-some-odd students to finally find the portrait of the fat lady.

Sitting around and talking while eating left over candies from the train, they made the best of their break before their school year really began. A bell chimed clearly throughout the castle, and faces crestfallen, they all dragged their feet as they moved hesitantly toward the dungeons.

A Slytherin prefect was waiting on the first floor to lead them down to their classroom, scowling the whole time. Immediately Anna disliked the dungeons. The corridors were dark and oppressive, as well as being quite chilly. Upon entering the classroom the class started almost instantly.

A tall woman with long, blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders entered the room just after they had. Her deep blue robes swirled as she made her way to the front of the class. With a flick of her wand the drapes covering the small windows immediately swung open, letting it what little sunlight they could. Anna was grateful for the extra light. Added to the scones along the walls, it helped to relieve some of the weight of the room.

"For you Gryffindors who would not know, I am Professor Connolly, Head of Slytherin House," she told them as a piece of chalk behind her scribbled on the chalkboard. Unrolling a bit of parchment she began reading out their names.

"We are going to start with a basic boil cure potion. Everyone pair up. Since there are an odd number of you, one group will have three. Now, open your books to page twenty-seven and fetch the necessary ingredients from the table here."

Anna was left in a group with Perry and Al after Bonnie insisted she be Rose's partner. Because of that though, Tinsley was forced to pair up with Scorpius Malfoy. It wasn't long before the room smelled of boiling horned slugs and snake fangs. Al was just about to add the porcupine quills when Scorpius, who was working right next to them, grabbed his arm before he could throw them in.

"You have to take it off the fire first," he told them. "If you don't follow the instructions exactly, you don't know what could happen."

"Er, thanks," Al said.

"I doubt it'd turn into something deadly, but I don't want to find out," the Slytherin said with a friendly smile.

"How is it that there's three of you, but none of you can pay attention to your own potion?" Tinsley teased. For a moment him and Perry grappled, but Connolly soon stepped in to break them up.

Giving their cauldrons a stir, she allowed that it was passable. Once she got to Scorpius and Tinsley's though, she beamed brightly. "Well done, the both of you. And who says Slytherin and Gryffindor can't work together? Ten points each!"

At the end of class they had a weeks worth of homework from Connolly, including two essays – one on the many uses of wolfsbane and the other on the benefits of lumen filix.

Next they headed off to the greenhouse behind the castle. When they entered Herbology class the professor smiled and waved at Al and Rose.

"Albus and Rose, so good to see you both. I hope you're enjoying your first day at Hogwarts," he said warmly.

"Hi Professor Longbottom," Rose replied.

"Got anything cool for our first class?" Al asked in earnest.

"Afraid not. Today'll be rather dull. Anyways, best go line up along the table with the rest," he told them. "Alright class," he said loudly, addressing all the students. "I am Professor Longbottom and today we'll be practicing how to properly extract the juice of a aculeatus, or switching broom."

"The professor was right," Perry whispered while unsuccessfully attempting to cut open the stem of his plant as it thrashed back and forth, "this is dull."

Next to them a Hufflepuff boy fell to the floor as he throttled his plant, cursing wildly at it. Longbottom quickly went to help him.

"You'll just provoke it if you do that," the professor reprimanded.

They left for lunch an hour later feeling particularly let down on their first day of class. Professor Longbottom had given them an essay on the uses of aculeatus.

"_Three_ essays on the first day of school," Al complained.

"Stop whining," Rose told him and when he gave her a hopeful look she added, "and no you can't copy my homework."

When they entered the Great Hall they noted the loud chatter of all the tables, especially the Gryffindors, except the Slytherins, who all sat in stony silence. Anna realized most of them had big, angry red whelps and bites over their hands and faces.

"What happened to them?" Anna asked her brother, Sam, as they sat down.

"Someone set up a bucket of Kindleburrows outside the Slytherin common room to dump them on any who passed by. It took Connolly and Lansord twenty minutes to get the thing down," he told them.

"Who would do something so cruel?" Rose said in disgust.

Al nudged Anna just then, pointing down the table at his brother who was laughing outrageously with a Weasley boy. "I think I know who," he murmured.

"You don't think Freddy and James would really do that, do you?" Rose whispered to her cousin.

"Are we talking about the same blokes? Of course I do," he retorted a bit heatedly. Obviously James and Al didn't get along very well at home – Anna knew the feeling well.

Their last class of the day was History of Magic with Professor Gallagher – who apparently had just started teaching their the year prior. Anna was happily surprised when the class started. Her mum and dad always said how much History of Magic was their least favorite class and how dull it was. Her father admitted to falling asleep several times and was grateful he even passed his OWLs.

Professor Gallagher made sure to keep them all awake and engaged as he told them about the Goblin riots, even reenacting several crucial points to their immense delight. Overall, it made for the most interesting class they'd had so far, easily making it their favorite for the day.

Anna gratefully fell into one of the plush armchairs in the common room that afternoon. It had taken them half an hour to find their way back up, no thanks to Peeves. They had wandered around in circles before realizing the path they needed lay hidden behind a tapestry. Rose sat down next to her with a sigh.

"Well, now we aren't likely to forget the way, right?" Al said sarcastically.

Admittedly, Anna said, "Knowing me, I probably will."

"If Peeves hadn't been there pelting quill needles at us we would have been fine," Rose announced in exasperation.

"So how was your first day of class at Hogwarts?" interrupted a boy as he slouched over the sofa to ruffle Al's hair.

"How was _yours_?" he asked tersely. "I hear you two have been busy already."

"We have, haven't we?" another boy answered, brushing red hair from his face.

Perry turned around to look up at the two boys from where he sat next to Al. "So are you going to introduce us to your friends?"

Al made an irritated sound. "This is my brother James, and that's our cousin Fred."

"Hello there new Gryffindors," James said with a mock salute while Fred simply waved at them unenthusiastically.

"Feel free to come to us if you're having any problems," Fred told them.

Al scoffed, "Oh I'm sure you two know _so_ much now that you're first years. I think I rather go to Anna's brother if I needed anything.

"Oh?" James said. "And who is her brother?"

"He's a sixth year," Rose gladly informed them.

"And Captain of our Quidditch team to boot," Perry added.

Anna blushed a bit as they scrutinized her.

"Think you could put in a good word for me then, Anna?" Fred asked her.

James quickly chimed in, "Me too."

"That's against the rules," Rose replied sternly. "There's no way David would let himself be in danger of expulsion for _you_ two."

Anna shrugged at them. "Besides," she said, "I don't think he'd even pull a favor for me if I begged him."

A moment later a boy came up behind her to pat her on the head. "How was your first day of class, Anna?" the boy asked.

Looking up she saw it was her brother Sam. "Just fine, thank you," she replied shortly.

"These two aren't giving you trouble, are they?" he whispered. "Within the first week of school last year I could tell they'd be trouble."

"Not really," she told him. "They're just teasing Al and Rose a bit. James is Al's brother, and Fred is their cousin."

"Ah, I see. I thought I heard another Potter join us yesterday at the sorting. Well then, I'm going to go play a bit of Quidditch out on the field with a few other Gryffindors. See you around, Sister." He waved her goodbye and Anna was left puzzling out why both her brothers were being so unnaturally civil towards her. Was the coming to Hogwarts really all it took for them to treat her equally unlike the spoiled brat she had been treated like at home.

"Want to start on our homework for potions?" Rose asked her.

"I suppose we should. Don't want to leave it to the last minute," Anna replied.

The other girl's eyes lit up. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

It took them a few minutes to persuade Al and Perry to do the same. Grudgingly, they all sat about, scratching away at their parchments about the many benefits and properties of wolfsbane. Often enough they turned to their books for help, but eventually they realized Rose already knew the passage on wolfsbane by heart so they started looking to her instead. By all her grumbling, she didn't seem to mind. Anna even caught her _smiling_ as she scratched out the end of her essay. The rest of them were decidedly _not_ smiling by the time they'd finished and rolled up their parchments. Rose was just trying to convince them to start on their other homework when thankfully the bell for dinner rang throughout the castle.

With a start Anna woke up, her eyes peering into the darkness of the room she shared while her mind searched for the reason she'd awoken. All she could recall was a queer dream that left goosebumps on her arms. None of the particulars were clear, but she knew it was a nightmare. Calming her racing heart, she laid back down and concentrated on slow, even breaths until finally falling back asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Ew, I hate weird dreams and nightmares. You wake up feeling out of place. Like the dream was reality and what you've woken to is an illusion. Anyway, don't forget to leave a review! :D<strong>


	4. Friendships and New Enemies

"Well, when Wittman told me I was a wizard," Sebastian was telling them, "I asked if that meant she could pull a rabbit from her hat."

They roared in laughter, Perry doubling over as he clutched at his stomach. Rose tried to cover her laughter, but eventually gave up. Anna was shamelessly laughing outright.

"Did you really?" Kent asked between gasps of air, wiping a few tears from his eyes.

"Yeah," Seb replied sheepishly, knuckling his forehead. "Then she did the most peculiar thing. She was smiling at me queerly – I swore she was about to put a curse on me or something. But she pulled off her ridiculous, bright orange, sun hat," he said, acting it out, "reached inside and pulled out a grossly warted toad."

All of them clutched at their stomachs as they laughed loudly at the idea of it.

"She just shrugged and said 'I've never been able to get that spell down'," Seb imitated with a laugh.

It was the day after their first classes. The seven students, (Tinsley, Sebastian, Kent, Al, Rose, Perry, and Anna), all sat on the lawn of the courtyard on Hogwarts' main floor. It was a relief to have a break just after getting to school. This way Anna could adjust to life there at the castle. She was glad they had time to spend together with Sebastian and Kent even though they were sorted into different houses while the rest of them were in Gryffindor together. The blonde boy had a large grin on his face while he watched his friends hoot and shake at his jokes.

While they were talking about the reactions of Seb's parents to his magic, Anna's brother David walked over to them from across the courtyard.

"Sounds like you all are having a good laugh. Care to join me for a bit of Quidditch?" he asked Anna, though was clearly inviting her friends as well.

"Can we really use the pitch?" Al asked a bit overly eager, standing up hastily.

"None of the teams are doing tryouts until next week, so no one's using it now."

"Yeah, let's go," Tinsley urged them.

Rose forestalled them though. "Sebastian doesn't know how to fly a broom. Flying lessons aren't until Thursday of next week."

"You don't mind, do you Seb?" Perry asked the blonde boy.

"I guess not," Sebastian replied.

Anna stood up. "I'll teach you the basics then, Seb. You can stay hovering around the ground while we play. You'll have a head start on the rest of the class that way."

"It's too dangerous!" Rose exclaimed, horrified. "We shouldn't even be flying about without a professor to supervise us."

"My brother is good enough supervision, aren't you David?"

"Don't worry, I'll keep a good eye on him," he replied with a wink to Rose. She blushed and didn't say another word against it. They followed after David as they made their way to the Quidditch pitch, chatting excitedly for this opportunity.

"You know," Al was saying, "my dad was only a first year when he made team Seeker."

"So young!" Kent exclaimed.

"Maybe I can follow in his footsteps," Al said with a significant look to David.

David didn't even look behind him as he replied, "Sorry, can't let any first years on the team. Next year you're free to tryout though."

Al and Perry shared a disappointed sigh.

When they finally made it down to the pitch, David went into the team locker rooms and came out a minute later, his arms filled with brooms. "These are all school brooms," he told them, "except mine of course."

Al and Anna were the first to mount their brooms. Al and Kent went whizzing around over their heads. A few moments later Anna joined him since she had to fix her skirt – _no way am I sitting side-saddle_. Perry was soon up there with them, hovering as he looked down on their friends – his hair falling forward around his face. Tinsley wasn't far behind in flying up to join them.

Rose looked unsure. It was obvious she was still debating with herself whether they should be doing this or not. Seb looked terrified as David started him on the basics of mounting his broom.

"Don't worry if it goes whizzing off out of control," her brother was telling the blonde boy, "I can easily catch up to you." The reassurance made Seb's face darken in stark terror. "No, no. Don't get off," David said as Seb made to swing his leg off the broom.

"Why don't you two go down and help him?" she asked of Al and Perry, while Tinsley and Kent flew over towards the hoops on the other side of the pitch.

Perry shrugged, "He seems to be fine."

Angry, she burst out at them, "What do you mean he looks fine? He's obviously terrified! What kind of friends are you?"

Perry's eyes widened in shock and Al looked down at his hands in embarrassment. Together they made their way to the ground several feet below them. Not the least bit regretful of her harsh words, Anna crossed her arms firmly and watched them descend.

When the boys started giving him tips and reassurances, Seb looked noticeably more relieved. Rose still stood there holding her broom, lost in indecision.

Cupping her hands around her mouth, Anna yelled down at her friend, "Come on, Rose! How many times have you gotten to fly around a _real_ Quidditch pitch?"

The red-headed girl fought with herself for a few more moments before mounting her broom and flew up to where Anna sat hovering. "Wow, the grounds are gorgeous from up here."

"Aren't they?" David said, joining them. Seb was slowly making his way up with Al and Perry flying close to either side of him.

"See, how could anything go wrong when we're being so cautious as that?" Anna said.

Rose only grumbled to herself.

"This isn't too bad," Seb told them as he came to their height. "Still a bit unnerving, though."

David ruffled his hair. "Give it a few years and you'll be a natural, I'm sure."

Sebastian looked up at the older boy with a face-splitting grin.

"Race you around the pitch!" Anna exclaimed, pushing past her brother who soon zoomed after her. David hung back for a while and she knew he was just trying to be nice. Not wanting him to simply let her win, she pressed herself flat against the broom, vying for more speed. She dare not look back, but she could hear David coming up behind her. He was matching her now, and they sped around a corner side-by-side. Anna gave it everything she could, wishing she didn't have an ancient broom used for centuries by the school. They finished their circuit, David only beating her by a few feet.

"Have you been practicing without me?" he asked her.

"You _were_ away from home most of the year, you know," she replied.

"I see you've taken that to your own advantage. If you weren't a first year, I might have considered letting you on the team."

Anna blushed with the compliment.

The rest of their morning was wonderful as they flew high above the ground together. They had a bit of a scare when Sebastian fell off his broom, but David hastily caught him. Anna was glad they could ride without incident – it would've been such a shame to be expelled so soon after arriving.

As they were leaving the pitch, the brooms put away properly, six Slytherins were walking down.

"Think you can use the pitch for personal use whenever you please?" one of the boys called out.

David scowled at him, "Yeah, I do. Go back to your hid-y hole, Slytherin."

"That's Pyrites," Perry whispered to them, "and his cronies, you know, the ones from the train?"

Pointing at Kent, Pyrites announced, "Look, we have another traitor among us."

"Oh, leave off it," Kent replied.

"We've already informed one of the professors," said a girl with long blonde hair in a haughty tone.

Folding his arms across his chest, Perry asked her, "And who do you think you are?"

"Sally Ackerman, but that doesn't matter since you'll unlikely ever see me again. No doubt they'll expel you all for this."

A tall boy, older than the rest of them, came forward. "They're on their way to tell you the good news right now," he announced with a slick smile.

"Are they really, Parkinson?" David asked scornfully. "You're just miffed that I got captain this year and you didn't, aren't you? I hope now you've learned you can't rely on daddy to win all your fights."

The boy, Parkinson, glared at Anna's brother, clenching his fists tightly. "You'll pay for that, Palmer."

"Oh, I'm sure I will," he replied sarcastically. "Now go on back to mummy and daddy."

Grinding his teeth, Parkinson turned around and headed back up towards the castle. One of the boys from their group, tall with a long nose and short, dark hair made a rude gesture at them. "You'll get yours, traitors," he said, pointing at Perry and Kent.

Perry shrugged, nonchalantly brushing his hair back while making a rude gesture back at the boy, while Kent flat out ignored the boy's words.

Finally the rest of the Slytherins followed Parkinson back up to the castle. Anna and Rose both let out a sigh of relief, Sebastian echoing them.

"I thought they were going to start a fight," Al said with obvious relief.

"So did I," Anna heard David mutter and noticed his hand had been in his inner robe pocket during the whole thing – where his wand was. "Should we go have lunch now?" he asked them all as he started up the path.

"Did you do something to that one bloke, Perry?" Al asked.

"Naw, he just doesn't see me fit to live it seems. The one who pointed at me, that was Nathaniel Higgs. He's the worst of the Slytherins in our year, I think.

"Though Lambert and Pyrites aren't much better," Kent added.

"But you're alright," Tinsley said, patting their Slytherin friend on the back.

"How can you all be so calm!" Rose yelled. "I don't want to be expelled! I've only just got here."

Patting her on the shoulder, David said, "They wouldn't really have told the professors. Not with what I have on Parkinson."

Anna could see that David's words weren't helping Rose much since she walked along with them playing with a strand of her hair while casting her eyes about wildly – as if a professor would pop out of thin air to expel them. Even though it was her second day there, everyone knew you couldn't Apparate inside Hogwarts.

On Monday it was back to their classes, and that morning they had Transfiguration for the first time. Anna loved it, but that was probably because she was almost successful with turning her toothpick into a needle. Professor Murphy even praised her work to the whole class, pointing out how the wood had a metallic shine to it. Rose seemed a bit annoyed that she wasn't doing as well, but Anna figured the motivation would be good for her.

"I don't know how you guys could do it. All I could do was give the toothpick a hole at the end. Have any tips?" Albus asked as they made their way to their next class.

By the end of class Rose was the first to be able to completely transfigure her toothpick to a needle. She was pretty smug about it too.

"Just follow Murphy's steps carefully and don't rush it," Rose told him.

"Easier said than done," Perry grumbled, blowing hair out of his face.

Al still looked a little crestfallen. "We can practice back in the common room, right?" Anna told him, "Rose can help us then."

"Of course," Rose piped up with a smile. Al looked a little more relieved as they walked through the door into the classroom.

Inside they spotted Sebastian sitting down and talking with another Ravenclaw. They all walked over to sit down next to him, except Tinsley who left them to sit with Lance.

"Hey Seb!" Perry said loudly, putting an arm around the boy. "How've you been holding up in Ravenclaw, eh?"

Sebastian's face turned red in embarrassment. "Er, this is Quinton Ziegler," he said, motioning at the other Ravenclaw sitting next to him.

"Charmed, Ziegler," Perry said, shaking the boy's hand firmly, "I'm Perry Pucey."

"Pleasure, Pucey," the Ravenclaw boy replied.

"Watch out for our little Seb, won't you?" Perry asked him.

A broad, mischievous smile on his face, Quinton replied, "Oh, of course. Won't let him out of my sight."

Leaning over to see the other boys, Al told them, "We can all sleep easy knowing we won't have to worry after him."

"Really, will you all stop picking on him," Anna retorted. The boys all looked at her with feigned shock, except Sebastian, whose face had turned bright red.

"Boys," Rose murmured with a sigh, taking out her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook and opening it up to a random page.

"Really now," Anna replied, turning away from the boys and ignoring their loud proclamations of sincere worry for their dear friend.

A man entered the room then and Anna recognized him as Professor Regan from the Sorting ceremony.

"Take your seats, please," he shouted over the chattering students. "I am Professor Regan, and I am your teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts. This year we will be learning about the most rudimentary of curses and how to defend against them. The text for this class is a new book written by Harry Potter and is quite an improvement from the previous text we had been using. I think you will all enjoy it, as well. Now, today-" He cut off as one of the students rose their hand eagerly. "Yes, Miss..?"

"O'dell, Sir," the dark-haired girl replied.

"Right then, Miss O'dell. Do you have a question?"

"Yes, I was wondering if we would get an opportunity to hear from Harry Potter himself."

The whole class started up then with whispers and mutterings.

"That would be ideal, Miss O'dell, but Mr. Potter is a busy man being the Head of the Auror Department in the Ministry of Magic. We shall have to wait and see," he told them.

Gryffindors and Ravenclaws alike smiled anxiously at the idea of seeing _the_ Harry Potter. Well, except for Rose and Al. Al actually seemed upset at the idea of his father coming to Hogwarts. When Anna asked him about it later in the common room, he told her, "Because then everyone will be asking me all about him. I don't want that kind of attention."

"Oh, I hadn't thought about it like that," she replied.

The next four hours they had free time which they used to start on their homework. Tinsley had left the common room a while ago with some boys from their year to go poke around at the library. They would have gone with them, but they still hadn't finished all their homework. Anna and Al worked on their History of Magic essays, while Rose practiced at turning a toothpick to a needle and back again. Perry had just started his Herbology essay after arguing with Rose about it, the three of them having already finished it.

"Really Perry, it's due tomorrow. You won't have time to do it in the morning," Rose scolded him when he'd told her he would just leave it until later.

"Oh, alright! Just stop pestering me about it. Honestly, I don't see why it matters so much to you. Not like it effects you personally."

Her brow furrowing, she yelled back at him, "Yes it does! You think we will win the House Cup if we don't turn in our homework? How else will we get points unless we put all our effort into it!"

"Jeez, it isn't like winning the Order of Merlin. I don't understand you. Half the time you're laid back and normal and the other half you can't stop bossing people around," he retorted, haphazardly tossing a roll of parchment and his Herbology text on the floor in front of him.

"Maybe I just want to actually do well in my classes, so I can have the career I want later in life! Maybe I don't want to be some beggar on the side of the street!"

"I think you're just trying to overcompensate by trying to be a perfect little goody two-shoes. Mum and Da' put all that pressure on you 'cause your uncle is Harry Potter, eh? Not likely. Your parents won't beat you with a leather belt if you don't live up to their expectations."

"Least I have parents that want me to do well. With the way you act, your parents rather you leeched off others for your whole life!"

"You think you're so high and mighty because you're related to someone famous. Does anyone know your parents names? No, because they didn't do anything, did they? It was all Harry Potter!"

Fuming now, Rose got up as if she was going to strangle Perry.

Anna quickly stood up and grabbed Rose by the arm. "I'm going to the restroom, come with me Rose," and with that she pulled the red-head back.

Rose put her textbook back in her school bag and stood up. "Sure," she said coolly, not looking up at the boys.

"It's nice to get away from the boys once in a while," Anna said, stretching her arms once they were out of the common room.

Sighing loudly, Rose's shoulders slumped down. "Yeah," she replied. "Do you really have to go to the restroom?"

"No, I just wanted to get out and walk around."

With a sudden look of despair, Rose launched forward in a rough embrace, tears already flowing down her cheeks. Anna put her arms around her friend gently, rubbing her back in effort to sooth.

"It's okay, Rose. Perry is just so stupid, he doesn't know when to close that big mouth of his."

The girl shook with sobs in Anna's arms, getting the front of her robes all wet. "It wasn't – they weren't – like – he said," she started to say between gasps for air. "My parents – just as brave – Harry Potter."

"I know, I know. It'll be all right. He shouldn't have said those things about your parents. He doesn't know what really happened – he doesn't know them like you do."

"Right," she replied between sniffles, "stupid boys. Don't know why – getting so worked up." Rose detached herself and stood their rubbing away the tears from her eyes and cheeks with the palm of her hand. Her hair was all in disarray and Anna helped her smooth it down a bit. Remembering something, she reached a hand into her skirt pocket and handed the red-head a bright blue handkerchief.

"You can return it to me later," she told Rose, smiling.

"Thanks."

"How about we go wander a bit outside the castle before lunch?"

Rose just nodded and together they made their way hand in hand to the massive set of wooden doors that led outside.

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><p><strong>Boys are stupid, yes? I have to say, Perry said some pretty hurtful things there. I wonder if Rose will forgive him... Would you forgive him if you were her? Oh, and don't forget to leave a review for me! :P<strong>


	5. Taking Flight

At breakfast the morning after Rose and Perry's fight, Anna and Rose sat well away from the other two boys. Sam, Anna's brother, sat across from them.

"What happened yesterday with those two?" he asked, gesturing at Al and Perry.

Anna was confused by the question. "What do you mean? Nothing, far as I know."

"I wasn't there when it happened, but they were fighting in the common room – made a huge fuss of it."

Actually looking at them this time, Anna noticed Perry had a brilliantly purple and black bruise around one of his eyes. Rose gasped, seeing what Anna did. When Al reached up to grab something from a plate, she saw the bandage that was wrapped around his hand.

"I – I had no idea," Rose said, almost at loss for words. Anna felt the same, what would bring the two – who had seemed closer than any brothers she'd ever seen – to get into a physical fight with each other?

Bonnie, Willow, and Gemma came and sat next to them then, which distracted the other two girls from Perry and Al for the rest of breakfast – though Anna saw how Rose kept glancing over at them.

They continued to ignore and avoid each other for the remainder of the week. As much as Anna and Al tried, they couldn't get the two to just stop and talk to each other about it.

The two of them were on their way to the common room to go over their History of Magic homework that Friday morning, when Al and Perry caught up to them. The corridor was empty except for the four of them.

"Oi, Rose," Perry called from behind them. Rose visibly stiffened and came hesitatingly to a halt.

She was about to keep walking, when Al caught her arm. "Just hear him out," he told her.

Still not turning about to facing him, she stood there with her head down. Perry took it as a sign to continue.

"I was wrong. About everything," he started, then rambled on in a rush, "about your parents, and about homework and putting effort into my schoolwork. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken out all my frustration and anger out on you just because you cared enough about me to tell me to do my homework. Was actually very kind and thoughtful of you. And your parents are really great people from what everyone tells me." He paused suddenly, taking a deep breath. "Will you forgive me?"

Rose let out an enormous sigh and crossed her arms. Anna smiled, but Perry still looked worried. Nudging Perry forward, she gestured, telling him to give Rose a hug.

"Erm," he muttered. "Could we, er, hug on it?"

Turning around, the red-head had a look of indignation on her face. "Ew, why would I hug you?" but then she smiled, and punched Perry lightly.

"Ow!" he shouted, clutching at his arm.

"I didn't hit you that hard!" Rose exclaimed.

Smiling, "Don't know your own strength, do you Rose?" Anna teased.

"Actually that would be my doing," Al admitted.

"What did you two do to each other?" Anna asked.

"Well," Al explained, "after you two left, we had a little row. Nothing to be concerned about. We've worked it all out now."

"What do you mean 'nothing to be concerned about'! Look at his eye!" Rose pointed out.

"It's all right. I deserved it," Perry told them with a smile.

Thursday of their second week at Hogwarts had finally arrived, and with it their first flying lesson. Sebastian was looking incredibly confident as all the first years spread out on the green of the Quidditch pitch.

A very tall man in bright blue robes walked out, carrying a broom with him. Anna wondered how anyone could be so skinny – he was nothing but skin and bones in her eyes.

"Alright everyone, all of you spread out so you're standing to the left of a broom. No shoving! There's enough for everyone," he yelled when some Slytherins started pushing about others to get to at the brooms.

When everyone was settled, he blew on his whistle – just two short bursts – for them to be quiet. "I am Professor Gallagher, and today we will simply learn how to mount your brooms, hover a few feet in the air, and then touch back down."

The lesson went smoothly, until Pyrites with Higgs and Lambert decided to fly around the pitch while Gallagher was distracted with a young girl who was having difficultly getting her broom to go back down. The three Slytherins started making a game of it, flying around to snatch up their hats and toss them out in the Quidditch stands.

A Hufflepuff girl shrieked as her broom was flipped over forwards, her skirt flying up to expose her underwear before she fell with a thud to the hard ground. Only the three Slytherin boys found it funny – they roared in laughter as they went back to hovering in their proper positions. Professor Gallagher whirled around to see what the commotion was, looking just in time to see Pyrites still flying about.

"Pyrites!" he shouted. The Slytherin went rigged. "Dismount. Now!" He did as was told while Al and Perry sniggered in delight. "Run to Connolly's office, now. I'll catch up in a few moments." The look on Pyrites face was enough to make them all break out in smug grins – glad to see the Slytherin punished. Turning to the girl who had fallen, which was now crying softly while one of her friends wrapped an arm around her comfortingly.

"Williams, isn't it?" Gallagher asked in a contrastingly gentle voice. The girl nodded, her blonde hair sticking to the tears on her cheeks. "Why don't you take her to the restroom so she can clean herself up?" he said, addressing the crying girl's friend.

When the two Hufflepuffs had started off towards the castle, the professor raised his voice so they could all hear him. "Everyone follow me now and I will show you where to properly deposit the school brooms."

A week later most of the Gryffindors piled outside into the Quidditch pitch to watch the team trials.

"You look awful," Perry commented as Tinsley sat down by them.

The boy shrugged. "I haven't gotten much sleep lately."

"If you're having trouble with homework, I could help, you know," Rose offered, but Tinsley declined.

"That isn't the issue, but thanks Rose," he answered with a shake of the head and a smile. Anna noticed Rose's cheeks redden.

"He _is_ cute, isn't he?" she whispered to her red-headed friend. Keeping her mouth shut tight, Rose gestured to the field below where Anna saw her brother standing. Laughing behind her hand, she put her attention on the Gryffindors that had just mounted their brooms.

As a show of respect as well as seniority, David let the seventh and sixth year tryouts play first. It was as good as watching a real game. Most of the older people who were playing right then were members of the House team from the year before. After a certain amount of time, her brother would call certain people to get off the pitch and motioned for other tryouts to join in.

When Al's brother James joined the pitch, Al booed loudly.

"I'm just teasing," Al replied when Rose admonished him for not supporting his brother. "In all honesty, I wish him the best of luck. But it's not as if I'm going to tell him that, am I?"

James played pretty well, in Anna's opinion, but the poor guy was trying out for Seeker when he obviously wasn't suited for it. When the other 'team's Seeker, Jami Walker, caught the Snitch, David sent James off the pitch. Now Al and Rose's cousin Fred was up, trying out for Chaser.

They cheered loudly, hands cupped around their mouths as Fred made a goal. Al's brother joined them in the stands not long after they saw him quit the field below.

"He's pretty good, right?" James said, squeezing Perry aside to sit next to his brother.

"Yeah. Has he been practicing at home?" Al asked.

"Said that Uncle George had been coaching him this summer," he answered. Grumbling to himself, he added, "Wish Dad would've given me private lessons. Wouldn't have lost the Snitch if he had."

"Oh stop complaining. We all know that no amount of coaching and practicing would've helped you catch that Snitch," Al snickered.

Attempting to break the tension, Anna interrupted, "I would be surprised if David didn't keep him on."

"You're his little sister, right?" James asked.

Crossing her arms in annoyance, "Yes," she replied tersely. Of all the things she hated about having older brothers is that everyone always saw her as 'the little sister'.

"Not trying out?"

"Course not. He wouldn't let me on even if I did. David doesn't let in first years. Says it's not fair to the older kids who haven't had a shot at it," she explained.

"That's good. Least he's fair."

Just then Fred zoomed past the others to throw the quaffle through the middle hoop. All the spectators on the benches hooted and hollered. When David blew his whistle, all everyone who was still on the pitch lowered themselves to the ground where they huddled together in discussion. When they broke it up, Anna could see the smile on Fred's face from up on the benches. He mounted his broom to fly up to them, landing softly on the bench just above them.

"Well...?" James and Al asked in unison.

Jumping down to their level, Fred announced, "I'm in! I made the team!"

"Whoa!"

"Well done, mate!"

"Nice one!"

They all crowded in to congratulate him. In the common room they had a small party, though try as they might not to rub it in other Gryffindors' faces, it was hard not to be excited about it. Anna hardly knew Fred, but the fact he was a second year and made the House team was amazing! It gave Anna a little hope, though being the captain's little sister definitely put a weight on her hopes to join the House team herself.

All the Weasley cousins joined them in celebrating with Fred, including Dominique. It wasn't long before she ran off with David though. Even though she was glad she didn't have to listen to her annoying stories, Anna still felt angry that David had left. Before she had never cared what her brother did, or with whom, so these feelings of attachment were new to her. It was weird to actually enjoy her brother's company while at school.

"Hey, Sam!" she shouted across the common room to her brother. "Come celebrate with us! Fred Weasley made the House team!"

Anna's brother made his way over to them shaking his head and smiling. "Sorry little sis, but I have homework. Don't celebrate too much or you'll get behind on your work," he told her and walked off to the boys' dormitories.

After running around the castle courtyard before dinner, Anna was completely tired out by the time they made it back to their dormitory after eating. Dumping her clothes haphazardly on the floor, she lazily put on her pajamas and fell into bed, asleep almost the instant her head touched the pillow.

Late in the night, Anna woke groggily to the thumping and thrashing somewhere nearby. At first she thought maybe a boy had somehow made his way into the dormitory. As she was reaching for her wand, which sat on her bed stand, she realized that the racket was coming from Bonnie's bed.

"Oi, Bonnie!" Willow yelled from her bed in a sleepy voice. "Cut it out already." Since the girl kept tossing about, Anna got up to wake her. Just as she was throwing the blankets off her legs, a shrill scream filled the air. Running to Bonnie's side along with several of the other girls, they attempted to wake her.

"Bonnie, Bonnie!"

"What's the matter!"

"She's not hurt is she?"

Opening her mouth, the sleeping girl screamed again. Anna could still hear it ringing in her ears hours later.

"BONNIE!"

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><p><strong>Oh no! I hope Bonnie is all right = So, I know this chapter is quite a bit shorter than I usually do. But it fit. So here it is. XD Don't forget to write a review! **


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